Recruiting

LSU could reel in another football commitment

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Advocate staff photo by PATRICK DENNIS -- LSU coach Les Miles monitors players as they work during spring practice in April. Miles and the Tigers could get another commitment Friday from Hallandale Beach, Fla., safety John Battle, who is expected to announce his commitment at 4 p.m.

Never one to be shackled by national recruiting rankings, LSU coach Les Miles and his staff may be about to pluck another prospect from Florida who has so far flown under the recruiting horizon.

John Battle, a 6-foot-1, 171-pound safety from Hallandale High School in Hallandale Beach, Fla., is expected to announce his commitment at 4 p.m. CDT. That commitment is expected to be to LSU.

A consensus three-star prospect, Battle isn’t ranked by any of the four national recruiting services. ESPN ranks him as the nation’s No. 27 safety prospect, followed by Rivals at No. 34, 24/7 Sports at No. 56 and Scout at No. 60.

However, Battle does have an impressive string of scholarship offers, among them South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Florida State, USC, West Virginia and Louisville.

LSU’s closest competition in the battle for Battle may be South Florida, according to Shea Dixon of 24/7 Sports.

The Tigers currently have 11 commitments, having picked up two this month from Alexandria Senior High wide receiver D.J. Chark (6-1, 176) and Oklahoma City Douglass defensive end Deondre Clark (6-3, 238).

LSU’s only current commitment from Florida, outside linebacker Sharieff Rhaheed (6-2, 202) of Fort Pierce Central, may be wavering after a teammate recently committed to Louisville. Dixon reported a flip to the Cardinals may be immiment.